Painting with a Twist opens in Ponte Vedra

Painting with a Twist opened Feb. 6 in the Ponte Vedra Square Shopping Center at the corner of Solana Road and Florida A1A.

Painting with a Twist is a nationwide "paint and sip" franchise based in Louisiana. The concept is a mixture of social event and art class where an instructor leads a room full of dabblers in the creation of a painting, stroke by stroke. Everyone paints the same painting; an online calendar shows which painting will be produced during each event. Attendees are welcome to bring their own snacks and even bottles of wine to sip while they paint.

Owner Maya Patel was inspired to open her own Painting with a Twist after attending classes at the franchise location in Saint Augustine.

"One day I discovered Painting with a Twist, and was instantly a painting addict," she said. "Painting was a way for me to escape reality and just enjoy myself without thinking about all the day-to-day stresses. I also really love art, although I am not artistic at all."

Following a marriage in August 2012, Patel moved from Texas to St. Johns County, where she had to readjust to the amount of activities offered in her new county.

"I was living in Houston, and since Houston is such a big city, there were constantly new things to try and do," said Patel, who was a research assistant at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, when she met future husband Nick Patel, a St. Augustine native. "I looked for ways to entertain myself in St. Augustine after coming from such a big city, and shortly after, Painting with a Twist opened there. One night, I dragged my husband out to try a painting class. Although he initially hated me for taking him painting, by the end of the night he loved the concept and had a great time. Shortly after, we decided to start our own Painting with a Twist, and we are very excited about our new journey."

On opening day, ambassadors from the Ponte Vedra Beach Division of the Saint Johns County Chamber of Commerce presided over a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the new Ponte Vedra Painting with a Twist. Chairman Ed Mercel welcomed the Patels to the business community. Representatives from corporate headquarters of Painting with a Twist, Clara Mathieu and Katie Richards, traveled from Louisiana for the opening. The Patels invited the first 40 people who signed up to be part of a free painting event on opening night. Clara Mathieu led the class as attendees painted Midnight Cherry Blossoms.

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